NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders provided a nail-biting finish in IPL 2026, with the contest ultimately decided in the very first Super Over of the tournament. On Sunday, KKR overcame LSG in a tense tie-break after LSG could manage only a single run in the Super Over, setting Kolkata a simple chase of two. Rinku Singh then struck a boundary off the opening delivery to complete the job and hand KKR the win.<\/p>\n
LSG, who batted first in the Super Over, faced sharp criticism for bringing Nicholas Pooran to the crease at such a high-pressure stage. Pooran, who has struggled with the bat throughout the season, was dismissed on the first ball of the Super Over by Sunil Narine, leaving Lucknow with very little room to recover.<\/p>\n
Dale Steyn, the former South Africa fast bowler, was particularly outspoken about LSG\u2019s call to send Pooran in. He said the move backfired badly and described it in harsh terms, calling it \u201ccriminal\u201d.<\/p>\n
Steyn pointed to Pooran\u2019s recent IPL record and questioned the logic of selecting him for the most crucial phase. \u201cThree Super Overs for Nicholas Pooran in the IPL, three ducks. So, yes, absolutely. Would you send someone else? Of course. You\u2019ve got players like Mitch Marsh, Rishabh Pant, and Mukul Choudhary. Given Pooran\u2019s recent form, there were other options,\u201d Steyn said. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t scored more than 30 or 40 runs this season, I don\u2019t know the exact numbers, but to send him in first ball in a Super Over to get you runs is almost a criminal decision,\u201d he added in comments shared on JioHotstar.<\/p>\n
He further argued that when a side is fighting for results, it needs to back batters who are delivering consistently rather than those enduring a prolonged lean patch. \u201cIt could have gone either way, but at this stage of the season, when you\u2019re desperate to win, you don\u2019t send in a batter who hasn\u2019t delivered all season. You go with players who\u2019ve been striking the ball well, guys you trust to clear the ropes, or at least back to do the job. I don\u2019t even think Nicholas Pooran believes he can do it right now; he\u2019s in such a bad run of form,\u201d Steyn said.<\/p>\n
Steyn also acknowledged Pooran\u2019s talent, but stressed that errors become harder to forgive in situations like a Super Over. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate because he\u2019s such a wonderful player. But when you\u2019re trying to revive your season, you can\u2019t afford blunders like that, not at this level,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Not long after Pooran\u2019s dismissal, Steyn took to social media as well, writing: \u201cCouldn\u2019t hit water if he fell out a boat. Tough times.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the loss to KKR on Sunday, Lucknow slipped to the bottom of the points table, collecting only four points from eight matches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders provided a nail-biting finish in IPL 2026, with the contest ultimately decided in the very first…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Rinku Singh Wins Super Over vs LSG, KKR","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL 2026 begins with a Super Over shocker as Rinku Singh powers KKR past LSG after a dramatic tie and thrilling first-over finish.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n